Medical examining chair

ABSTRACT

Medical examining chairs, particularly a medical examining chair which is articulated from a flat horizontal position to a vertical chair support type position. The chair includes a horizontal mid-portion, together with a head portion and a foot portion hinged at opposite ends of said mid-portion. Both the head portion and foot portion are interconnected by supporting linkage. The chair is mounted upon a rotatable base and includes power driven actuating means to raise the chair vertically, as well as to pivot the head and foot portions from the horizontal plane of the mid-portion to vertical planes intersecting the midportion.

United States Patent [191 Long et al.

[ Sept. 24, 1974 MEDICAL EXAMINING CHAIR [75] Inventors: Larry K. Long, Tempe; Thomas C.

Knight, Scottsdale; William F. Jackson; John W. Winter, both of Phoeniz, all of Ariz.

[73] Assignee: Amerco, lnc., Phoenix, Ariz.

[22] Filed: Apr. 10, 1973 [211 Appl. No.: 349,892

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1939 Manning 269/325 2/1947 Shampaine 297/330 X 10/1966 Dlouhy 297/90 Horie 297/71 Watanabe 297/71 X [5 7 ABSTRACT Medical examining chairs, particularly a medical examining chair which is articulated from a flat horizontal position to a vertical chair support type position. The chair includes a horizontal mid-portion, together with a head portion and a foot portion hinged at opposite ends of said mid-portion. Both the head portion and foot portion are interconnected by supporting linkage. The chair is mounted upon a rotatable base and includes power driven actuating means to raise the chair vertically, as well as to pivot the head and foot portions from the horizontal plane of the midportion to vertical planes intersecting the mid-portion.

4 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEUSEFZMSH sum an: '4

PAIENIEDSEPZMQH 3.837. 35

sum W4 MEDICAL EXAMINING CHAIR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:

l. Field of the Invention Medical chairs or tables. Numerous previous inventors have directed their talents to the design of medical examination tables and chairs which could be elevated and swiveled to a variety of vertical, inclined or horizontal positions. However, such chairs have usually involved massive mechanical features which have precluded their use for EKG work and, inevitably, have contributed to high capital costs and expensive maintenance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention a medical examining chair is provided with a base plate such that the chair may be rotated through 180. The chair includes a horizontal mid-portion which is vertically raisable with respect to the base plate, as well as a hinged head portion and foot portion. Linkage interconnects the head and foot portions such that they are simultaneously pivotable in parallel with respect to the midportion, such that the chair may be used for seated or reclaining examinations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view, showing the chair in one of its vertical examination positions;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation, showing in phantom the pivoting of the head and foot portions to their utmost vertical position;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan of the mid-portion, head portion and foot portion;

. FIG. 4 is a side elevation thereof, showing the linkage interconnecting the head and foot portions;

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan showing the attachment of the interconnecting linkage;

FIG. 6 is an end elevation showing the middle vertical actuating shaft with the telescoping guide shafts;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing the bottom of the mid-portion together with the vertical actuation and guide components, taken along section line 77 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of the rotatable base plane showing the telescoping guide and vertical actuation support plates.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIG. 1 there is illustrated a medical examing chair, generally designated as 10, and including horizontal mid-portion l2, hingedly pivoted head portion 14 and hingedly pivoted foot portion 16 with ankle rest inset 18. The entire assembly is mounted upon a flat base plate assembly 20 by means of rotatable ball bearing element 24. A decorative housing 22 is shown enclosing the vertical actuating and support elements. A horizontal housing 26 may also be used to enclose linkage and driving elements. The instrumentation panels 28 and 50 are supported at either side of the mid-portion.

In these panels switches 52, 54 and 56 may be used; for example, to pivot the head portion and the foot portion, to vertically raise and lower the entire assembly, as well as tilt the entire assembly (not illustrated).

In FIGS. 2 and 6, the chair mid-portion 12 is illustrated as supported upon a rigid top plate 32. Yoke members 34, 36 and 38 are supported on top plate 32 underside and pivotably engage both telescoping guide members 40 and 42, as well as the vertical actuating shaft 44. As illustrated in FIG. 8 the guide shafts 40 and 42 are supported in anchor plates 82 and 80, respectively, while the internally vertical threaded actuation shaft 44 is pivoted in anchor plate 84.

A lateral support strut 86 may be supported in bracket 92 attached at one end to the underside of plate 32 and at its other end by means of wheel 93 may rotatably engage the supporting strut 88 so as to provide lateral rigidity to the assembly regardless of its vertical actuation.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3-5, hinges 21 and 23 connect respectively the head portion and foot portion with the flat mid-portion. A pair of bell members 27 may be secured to the head portion 14 by means of plate 31. Bell members 27 at their other end are connected by clevis member 30 to rod 29 which at its other end is pivoted to bracket 25 mounted in the foot portion 16. As will be apparent, pivoting downward movement of the foot portion from the horizontal plane illustrated in FIG. 4 to the inclined plane 16 illustrated in FIG. 2 will result in corresponding upward pivoting of the head portion 14. This linkage is actuated mechanically be means of horizontal drive motor 62 engaging through a clutch member shaft 74 which is pivoted at one end in bracket 48 attached to the foot portion. The horizontal drive motor 62 may be pivotably mounted at 78 in bracket 76 affixed to the underside of plate 32. Thus, a pressing of switch 54 will result in actuation of the motor in one direction or another so as to pivot in substantially parallel planes the head and foot portions with respect to the mid-portion.

Similarly, actuation of switch 56 will result in actuation of vertical drive assembly 46 which engages by a clutch member shaft 44, raising or lowering the shaft and entire chair assembly with respect to base plate 68. Electrical cords 96 and 94 from terminal block 58 may be employed respectively to actuate the motors 62 and 46. The base plate 68 is mounted upon a ball bearing assembly 24 which is affixed to base 72. A plurality of housing mounting brackets 64 and 66 may be employed to support housing 22 outwardly of the entire assembly.

As will be apparent, the present assembly enables a single operator to move the patient from a variety of seated positions to a horizontal position, returning the patient to the seated position prior to his release.

Manifestly, a variety of linkage, vertical actuating and horizontal pivoting assemblies may be employed without departing from the spirit of invention We claim:

1. A medical examining chair comprising:

A. a support base;

B. an examining table supported upon said base and.

including: i. a horizontal mid-portion;

ii. an upper head portion hinged at one end of said mid-portion; iii. a lower foot portion hinged at the other end of said mid-portion; iv. linkage interconnecting said head and foot portions, said linkage being operable to pivot said head and foot portions simultaneously from the horizontal to a farthest position wherein said head portion is in a vertical plane intersecting 3 4 said mid-portion and said foot portion is in a vernected at its other end so as to laterally rigidize said tical plane intersecting the bottom of said midtable in its variety of pivoting attitudes; and portion; E. said base being rotatably pivotable in a horizontal v. a vertical elevating shaft interposed between said plane.

support base and said table, and operable to raise 5 2. A medical examining chair as in claim 1, said horisaid mid-portion and said head and foot portions zontal actuator and said vertical shaft being controlled vertically with respect to said base; at the mid-portion sides.

C. horizontal power actuator means interposed be- 3. A medical examining chair as in claim 2, said midtween said head and foot portions for operating portion, head and foot portions being of wood consaid linkage so as to extend said foot portion outstruction and being resiliently padded.

wardly and thereby simultaneously direct said head 4. A medical examining chair as in claim 3, said midand foot portions to a horizontal plane aligned with portion being relatively wide and the free end of said said mid-portion; head portion being narrow and the free end of said foot D. a vertical support strut pivotably attached to one portion including an ankle support cut-out.

end of said mid-portion and operably slideably con- *f 

1. A medical examining chair comprising: A. a support base; B. an examining table supported upon said base and including: i. a horizontal mid-portion; ii. an upper head portion hinged at one end of said midportion; iii. a lower foot portion hinged at the other end of said midportion; iv. linkage interconnecting said head and foot portions, said linkage being operable to pivot said head and foot portions simultaneously from the horizontal to a farthest position wherein said head portion is in a vertical plane intersecting said mid-portion and said foot portion is in a vertical plane intersecting the bottom of said mid-portion; v. a vertical elevating shaft interposed between said support base and said table, and operable to raise said mid-portion and said head and foot portions vertically with respect to said base; C. horizontal power actuator means interposed between said head and foot portions for operating said linkage so as to extend said foot portion outwardly and thereby simultaneously direct saiD head and foot portions to a horizontal plane aligned with said mid-portion; D. a vertical support strut pivotably attached to one end of said mid-portion and operably slideably connected at its other end so as to laterally rigidize said table in its variety of pivoting attitudes; and E. said base being rotatably pivotable in a horizontal plane.
 2. A medical examining chair as in claim 1, said horizontal actuator and said vertical shaft being controlled at the mid-portion sides.
 3. A medical examining chair as in claim 2, said mid-portion, head and foot portions being of wood construction and being resiliently padded.
 4. A medical examining chair as in claim 3, said mid-portion being relatively wide and the free end of said head portion being narrow and the free end of said foot portion including an ankle support cut-out. 